Trunk



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' J. L. WARREN.

TRUNK.

No. 510,743. Patented Dec. 12, 18 93.

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(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

.J. L. WARREN.

TRUNK.

No. 510,743. Patented Bag. 12, 1893.

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ITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

JAMES L. WARREN, OF GOSl-IEN, TEXAS.

TRUNK.

, SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,743, datedDecember 12, 1893.1 Application fi1edMay19 1893. Serial No. 474,792. onmodel.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, JAMES L. WARREN, of Goshen, in the county ofHenderson and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Trnnks,of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in trunks and like portablereceptacles,for clothing and small articles needed by travelers andother persons, and has for its object to provide a trunk with novel adjunctive features,

which will render it more convenient, and better adapted for the stowageand removal of various articles of wear and use.

To this end, my invention consists in the construction and combinationof parts, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming apart ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is aperspective View of the trunk closed, showing an externalfeature of improvement on it. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a trunkhaving the improvements, the lid being raised and interior novelfeatures exposed. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of a trunk containing theimprovements, the trunk lid being raised and novel parts within adjustedfor convenient access thereto. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view ofthe trunk and contained novel parts, some features of improvement beinglocated in the raised trnnl; lid, and others in the'trunk body. Fig.5 isa longitudinal sectional View of parts on the line 55 in Fig. 4. Fig. 5is a partly secf tional plan view of details on the linea 5 in Fig. 5.Fig. -6 is apartial rear View of the trunk in closed adjustment, and afeature of the improvement on it; and Fig. 7 is a detach ed enlargedperspective view, ofa detail that is of improved construction.

The rectangular trunk body A may have a flat lid, but the latter ispreferably'cons'tructed as shown, having its topwall arched a properdegree, to afford strength, and increase vertical space within this deepcover or lid A.

At each end, and within the body A, a tray supporting guide strip a, issecured, said similar strips one of which is represented, being locatednear the top edge of the trunk body, and properly spaced therefrom, toafiord room between the strips and end walls of the trunk, or stiffeningledges a therein, for the free reciprocation of other parts that willpresently be' described.

Two rectangular trays B' and O, are provided, which together fill thespace or area bounded by the four walls of the trunk body A,'when thetrays are imposed upon the strips a. The tray B, that is located nearestthe front wall of the trunk body when in place therein, is adapted toreciprocate above and be supported on the guide strips a, by itsdetachably secured engagement with the carrier clip plates b, whichplates loosely embrace the guide strips, and project-a flange portion b,of each toward the longitudinal center of the trunk body. The flanges b,are slotted to receive the T-heads of the locking bolts 0, one of whichis provided for each end of the tray B, and is loosely secured in placeupon its rear wall, by the similar keeper plates 0 and a short arm 0'formed on each bolt at its upper end, and which projects at a rightangle thereto in the same vertical plane with the heads of the 'bolts,affords convenient means to partly rotate the bolts c,"and lock orrelease the tray B, as may be desired. The insertion of the T-hea'ds ofthe bolts 0 in the slots of the flanges b and the folding of the arms 0serves to'secure' the tray in position on the clip plates, while therotatable movement of said arms a' sufficient degree to proj ect them ata right angle to the'keeper plates causes the T-heads of the bolts toalign with the slots, they lie below, so that the tray may belifted-from the guide strips a, and-removed from thetrunk body.

Duplicate spiral springs d, are attached byi go one end of each to anendwall ofthe trunk, as shown at d, in Fig. 4, the front end of eachspring being connected 'to the depending stud d on the adjacent carrierclip plate I), and on the same stud of each plate 17, one end of astrong cord 6, is secured, each cord passing around an appropriategrooved pulley 'c' that is pivoted on the end wall of the trunk bodybelow a guide strip a and nearthe front wall of said trunk body. Thesimilar cords (2 (one shown) that are respectively located at oppositeends of the trunk, are each extended below the pulley 6 toward the rearwall of the body A, and below another loose grooved pulley g, these lastmentioned similar pulleys being pivoted between and upon the guidestrips a, as indicated in Fig. 4. From the pulleys g, the cords e, areprojected upwardly and rearwardly of a sufficient length to permit theirrear end portions each to be connected with a rotatable key plug it, onebeing shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4, said similar key plugs eachhaving a frictional engagement with a hole in an end wall of the lid A,so that the rotation of the key plugs will adjust the cords e, forlength, as may be necessary to secure an effective action of the devicethey are portions of.

It will be seen that when the parts which are connected to the tray B,as hereinbefore explained, are properly adjusted, and the tray seatedupon and secured to the carrier clip plates 1), the act of lifting thelid A, into a vertical position will cause the tray B, to slideoutwardly, and remain forwardly projected above the front wall of thetrunk body, thereby exposing the space in the latter that is covered bythe tray B when the lid A is closed. The downward movement of said lidreleases draft strain on the cords e, and permits the springs d, whichwere extended by the lifting movement of the lid, to resume their normalretracted condition, and draw the tray B into place between the verticalwalls of the trunk body A. a

The tray 0, is hinged at its lower rear edge, upon the inner side andlower edge of the rear wall of the trunk lid A, said hinges beingproperly shaped to allow the tray they are secured upon, to be seated onthe horizontal ledges and guide strips a a, or be upwardly folded so asto enter the opened lid A, and occupy part of the space in said lid, asshown in Fig. 4, a hookf, on the tray front wall being made to hook fastto the staple f, on the lower side of another tray D, when this isrequired.

The interior of the tray 0, is sub-divided by a number of tranversepartitions i, into a series of compartments that may be labeled toindicate their contents, or if correspondence is kept in thesereceptacles, the abbreviations of month names may be placed opposite theseveral compartments or a part of them, so that the date of letters orpapers within each compartment will be approximately indicated by thelabel opposite the same.

A hinged lid 0, is provided for the tray 0, and a look also if this isdesired, or any other securing device for the lid of the tray may beutilized to hold it closed.

Above the trays B and G, the tray D, is located within the trunk lid andjointed thereto by duplicate right angle bent strap hinges m, one beingshown in Fig. 4, which hinges are secured to the rear side wall of thetray, and also to the rear wall of the trunk body at its upper edge,Lthe form of the hinges adapting them to retain the tray D, in the upperpart of the lid A, and permit its outward folding movement so as to restupon the tops of the trays B, and C, as represented in Fig. 2.

The upper edges of the tray D, are shaped to fit them for the receptionof a curved lid D, that conforms with the inner surface of the archedtop of the trunk lid A, when the tray D is folded within the latter asshown in Fig. 4, a spring catch at, afiording means to secure the trayin such a position.

The tray D, is divided into two main compartments, by the transversepartition 0, and each of these divisions of the tray is subdivided bythe movable partitions 0, these latter mentioned pieces being furnishedwith a plate spring 0 at each end, and as thelength of the partitions isless than the distance between the parallel walls they extend between,of a degree that will adapt the bow springs 0 to bear on said traywalls, it will be seen that the partitions 0, may be moved to increaseor diminish the distance between them and the walls of the tray, so asto arrange a number of smaller. compartments in the tray,- convenient indimensions for the introduction of articles that may require more orless space therein. a H

The lid A of the trunk is furnished with a pair of strong hinges 19, onebeing shown in Fig. 6, and as a support for said lid there is a slidingbrace rod 7', provided,which is hinged at its lower end to a bracketplate 0', that is secured on the rear wall of the trunk body at a properpoint between the pair of hing es p.

The upper end of the brace rod is flattened out and has said flattenedend loosely engaged with a guide plate 0*, that has parallel groovesformed in it along its side edges, wherein the flattened upper portionof the rod 17, is introduced and held in a manner which will permit thebrace rod end to slide in the guide plate when the trunk lid is raised,and when the latter is in a vertical position serve to retain it thus,and sustain a part of the weight of the lid and parts within it.

On the front wall of thetrunk .bodylA,near its longitudinal center andlower edge, a projecting toe plate 3, is secured, which together with agrip plate to, that is affixed onthe front wall of the lid A,above thetoe plate, affords convenient means for the lifting of the lid A ,v theoperator placing one foot on the plate 3, and grasping the piece it,with one hand, which will enable a lifting movement to be applied to theheavy lid A, and avoid the rearward tilting of the trunk body in casethere should be but little weight in the latter.

The trunk is exteriorly furnished with the usual skirt plate A togetherwith the stiffeningcornerbands and handles, that are required to renderit strong and convenientto handle, a lock 1), of approved constructionbeing affixed to the lid and body of the trunk, for the proper retentionof the lid in closed adjustment when this is desired.

It is claimed that by the provision of the novel features hereinbeforedescribed, a very convenient trunk or portable receptacle for clothingand many other articles of personal use is afforded at a moderateexpense for construction.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- 1. In a trunk, a tray supported to slide on twohorizontal guides secured oppositely on end walls-0f the trunk body neartheir upper edges, two spiral springs connected by one end of each tothe trunk end walls near the rear wall, cords secured to front ends ofthe springs and passing over loose pulleys rearwardly, and means toadjustably connect the rear endsof the cords to the end walls of thetrunk lid, substantially as described.

2. In a trunk, atray whichis removablysecured on carrier plates, guidesafiixed to the trunk end walls whereon the carrier plates slide, twospiral springs connecting the car rier plates with the rear of the trunkbody and retracting the carrier plates, and cords engaged with loosepulleys and connected at their ends to the trunk lid and to the carrierplates, and arranged to stretch the springs and project the tray overthe front of the trunk body when the trunk lid is elevated,

substantially as described.

